This application is a 371 national filing claiming priority from international application PCT/EP2009/008122, filed Nov. 14, 2009. This application also claims priority from German application 10 2008 064 481.1, filed Dec. 18, 2008. The entire contents of that international application and that German application are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention has as subject matter a disinfection and decontamination agent containing at least one vitamin, at least one metal ion, at least one surface-active compound and at least one antimicrobial active substance.
It is necessary in the medicinal area, in the production of food, in test laboratories and in other sensitive areas to kill microorganisms and to remove them as completely as possible. It is known on the one hand to combat the microorganisms in the form of a disinfection. The term disinfection generally denotes the effective, irreversible inactivation, killing or removal of microorganisms. Microorganisms include bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, yeasts, spores, prions, mycoplasms and/or viruses. The latter are removed during the disinfection of animated and/or inanimate surfaces, tissues or rooms.
It turned out in a few areas that a disinfection alone is not sufficient, since even the killed microorganisms or individual nucleic acid molecules such as DNA and RNA of the microorganisms or proteins or other residues can result in further infections directly or by increasing the infectiousness or resistance of other microorganisms. Therefore, decontamination agents are used for the complete elimination of the contamination with proteins or nucleic acids. The DNA/RNA decontamination agents should bring about a nucleic acid degradation that is as complete as possible for an effective decontamination.
It is therefore necessary in a complete disinfection and decontamination of an animated or inanimate surface to use two agents, namely, a disinfection agent for killing the microorganisms and a decontamination agent for eliminating the remaining residual contamination by nucleic acid molecules, proteins or other residues. The use of a decontamination agent ensures the efficient decontamination in that the free nucleic acid molecules are modified, denatured or degraded. The known decontamination agents have the disadvantage that they frequently are chemically aggressive and not absolutely safe for health. During the use of aggressive substances they attack, for example, inanimate surfaces and result in permanent damage or discoloration. On animated surfaces such as hands, skin, mucous membranes many aggressive decontamination agents cannot be used at all for reasons of health.
A less aggressive decontamination agent is known, for example from DE 10 2005 020 327 A1. This decontamination solution consisting of a vitamin, a metal ion and a surface-active compound displays a good nucleic acid degradation while simultaneously gently treating the surfaces. However, for example, no sufficient effectiveness in the customary application concentrations and acting times against Candida albicans was able to be determined.